Keep Your Enemies Closer
by TheNewCompanion
Summary: When Kagome and Shippo stumble across an abandoned music room before Haruhi, the lives of everyone are changed. See how Haruhi fairs without the influence of her boys and how Kagome effects the lives of the hosts. What is she hiding? Where are her parents? Who is her mysterious sponsor, and what (or who) is he protecting her from?
1. Chapter 1: Host Club Cat?

Keep Your Enemies Closer

**Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. Anything you recognize is owned by Bisco Hatori! I receive absolutely no money from writing fanfiction.**

**(The authors note is at the bottom.)**

* * *

No matter how many times it happened in the past few weeks, Kagome never remembered to look up instead of down. It wasn't her fault that Shippo had grown so much, after all. He was obviously too tall.

The kitsune in question smirked down at her, amused.

"The times certainly have changed Kagome," he said with a wink. His voice - it was so much deeper! And his hair was so much longer! Kagome would never be used to it, she figured. Damn puberty. It took away her little Shippo faster than a day (literally, in her case).

"-painful process," Shippo said, still chattering on in her ear. "Being a yokai and aging slowly is great and all, but it means that _everything_ goes slowly. You humans are lucky, you know. You only have to put up with a year of awkward voice cracks. Try going through nearly 80..."

"Shippo, please. That's too much information," Kagome said with a grin. She tugged restlessly on the hem of her new yellow skirt. It was a bit longer than the length of her old school uniform, and the little change kept unconsciously bothering her. To be honest, it was like a slight against her; a constant reminder that things were different now. There was no going back to the old days, and that was meant in more ways than one.

"So why can't we spend time with our new classmates?" Shippo asked, running a hand through the end of his long ponytail. It was longer than Kagome's own hair, and much prettier, she had to admit, though only to herself. Shippo seemed to have developed quite an ego these past years.

"Because I don't know how to act around everyone! They're all rich and have ran in the same circles for years; I don't know anyone and I'm not sure how to act."

"Well you're not going to meet anyone by hiding."

"I'll take my chances, thanks. Naraku was easier than this."

A scornful look came from the kitsune.

"Maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration."

"Yeah, maybe just a bit, Kagome."

The two stopped just in front of an ornate closed door. The sign above it read MUSIC ROOM #3.

"An abandoned music room? This looks promising."

"Don't be such a wimp, Kags. We should go to the library and make some friends. Do you want to be a social outcast?"

"I am not a wimp! Or a social outcast!" Lie. Kagome was pretty sure that, like blood hounds, the rich elite that occupied this school had already sniffed her out and deemed her unworthy. It became rather apparent when she committed the scandal of not knowing the name of her teacup at lunch (a Worcester, apparently). Shippo didn't understand. After all, he was male, and five hundred years old or not, the opposite gender seemed to still have difficulty in picking up the social hints that were obvious to females.

A boy in ratty clothing with mussed up hair lumbered past them, muttering to himself. "-beginning to think rich kids only come to school to have a good time." The boy paused when he made eye contact with them. "Uh - gomenasai," he said, blushing at being caught talking bad about them. Immediately he rushed off down the hall.

"That's probably the other new transfer student, Fujioka Haruhi. I heard he came on a scholarship. He's probably receiving a rougher time than you," Shippo said. Kagome bit her lip in order to stop herself from pointing out how he was trying to hide too.

"Wonderful. Now he thinks I'm one of you people," Kagome exclaimed before whirling to face the door.

"Us rich people aren't all bad. I don't come to school just to have a good time; I come to babysit, too," Shippo said with a wiggle to his eyebrows that made Kagome laugh.

"I don't need a babysitter," she said as she pushed the door open, but admittedly, Kagome didn't mind having Shippo around. Quite the opposite, in fact.

"Yes you do," Shippo replied as flowers came swirling from the doorway. They both froze, seeing that the room was occupied.

"Welcome," six voices said in unison.

"Especially from people like them," Shippo muttered under his breath. He stepped in front of Kagome, obscuring her from view. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers, knowing exactly how he felt. Apparently they had stumbled across the alleged Host Club. The girls in her 1-A class had felt it prudent to squeal about them to Kagome for hours before realizing that she was new money. Tamaki _THIS_ and Kyoya _THAT_, Mori and Honey and those twins - Kagome had certainly heard enough about them for the day. Or maybe the year.

"Oh wow, it's a boy," two voices said together. Identical eyes appraised Shippo.

"Hikaru, Kaoru, I believe this young man is in the same class as you, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he's Higurashi Shippo, the one we were just telling you about," the identical boys said together. Kagome narrowed her eyes at them. What had they been saying about Shippo behind his back?

"I see. Welcome to the Ouran Host club, mister transfer student," the one in glasses said. Kagome assumed that was Kyoya from the girls' previous description of him.

"Seems like word gets around," Shippo said charmingly. "It's nice to meet you."

"Look Takashi! A girl!" said a voice from behind Kagome. She turned around to see a blond child staring up at her with glee. This must be Haninozuka Honey, if that rabbit was anything to go by.

The blond one instantly stood up tall and proud. "A female hidden in our midst? Welcome to the Host Club, princess. I am Suoh Tamaki, and am the King of the Host Club." He whipped a rose out of what seemed to be thin air and presented it to Kagome. A dazzling smile lit his face. What was up with this guy?

"Wow. Um, thanks," Kagome said, not reaching for the flower. This went unnoticed by the eccentric senpai, who fluidly tucked the rose behind her ear and pulled her out from behind Shippo.

"You are most welcome, princess. Now, which host would you prefer? The strong type? Boy-Lolita type? The mischievous type? The cool type? Or-" the audacious host reached down to cup Kagome's jaw, but somehow never quite reached it. Instead, a fist flying from the younger girl sent Tamaki crashing backwards into a vase that shattered into brilliantly blue pieces all over the ground. Tamaki stared up at Kagome in shock, along with the rest of the hosts.

"Please don't touch me like that," she said shortly. "Now, if you'd excuse me, I need to be going. Shippo?"

"You know I'm with you Kags," he said in slight awe. Kagome let out a little sigh. Apparently the past three weeks had toughened her up, but it was all covered with those lingering negative feelings. She turned to match out the door, except -

A Shadow King blocked her way.

"Now now, Miss Higurashi, let's not be hasty here," he said calmly with a smirk lingering on his annoyingly beautiful face. "That was a rather expensive vase. It was planned to be auctioned off, started at eight million yen. Higurashi is not a prominent name, and though it seems that you two can afford a uniform and a tuition, I think that eight million yen may be stretching it a bit."

Kagome clenched her fists and tried not to launch herself at the biggot. How dare he make a slight against them just because she wasn't at the same financial status as him?

"If you recall, I wasn't the one who actually broke the vase. That was your friend here," Kagome said through clenched teeth. Kyoya let out a disbelieving chuckle.

"You pushed him, Miss Higurashi."

"I was provoked."

She caught a raised eyebrow followed by an approving glance before sun-lit glasses obscured her view.

"That may be, but regardless, violence is certainly not condoned at this establishment. We're willing to forget about the whole incident, if you're willing to pay us back."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Kagome asked sarcastically. "I can barely afford my expensive shoes, remember?"

"Well, why don't we ask the King. Tamaki?"

The other occupants of the room blinked slowly, waking up from their frozen trance. All of them had been stuck in a half conscious state, watching Kagome and Kyouya go back and forth in both awe and terror.

"Oh, right." The blond host rose to his feet elegantly and folded himself back into a chair, visibly collecting his cool. "There's a famous saying you may have heard, Higurashi. 'When in Rome, you should do as the Romans do'. Since you have no money, you can pay with your body."

"Hey, you wait one second-" Shippo snarled, marching up to Kagome's side.

"Starting today, you're the Host Club's cat."

Silence.

"Why a cat, Tama-chan?"

"Because she's a lady, of course! Boys would be dogs, but cats are much cuter!" He sent an adoring look to Kagome, whose jaw had dropped to the floor. "And you are adorable, my princess!"

Shippo snorted.

Kagome moved her mouth, but nothing came out. What could she say? Fair was fair, and her moral compass that had always been a stickler for rules told her to take the deal, no matter how bad it seemed. But Kagome didn't want to. Dear kami, would she ever get a break? Would this nightmare that had turned into her life ever end?

"And mister Higurashi, since I'm sure you would wish to spend your time with your sister here, you are welcome to join the Host Club as an active member. You can even help her pay off her debt, if you wish." Kyoya glanced casually down at his black notebook, but he wasn't fooling Kagome. She finally understood what was happening; why the twins had been talking about Shippo before they entered the room and why she was being forced to be the club's cat (whatever that meant). They wanted Shippo, not her.

Yet what could she do?

"Damn rich bastards."

Kagome had never wanted to "_SIT_!" someone so bad.

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm so excited for this new story! I was actually inspired by the author of Heiress (if you haven't read that you should go see it NOW) to start this story! I loved how regular updates came at least once a week, even if the chapters were shorter, and decided that I wanted to do the same. The plot is different of course, but hopefully I'll be able to update as ****consistently as artemisgirl! I'll be away during a mission trip starting tomorrow through the 17th, but after that, my goal is for regular updates that are shorties-but-goodies (hopefully). If any HP fans are reading this, no, I am not abandoning Is It Ever Enough; don't worry!**

**This has no beta, so let me know if you see any spelling or grammar mistakes!**

**Read & Review at your own will!**


	2. Chapter 2: Shippo's Host Type

Keep Your Enemies Closer

**Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. Anything you recognize is owned by Bisco Hatori! I receive absolutely no money from writing fanfiction.**

**(The authors note is at the bottom.)**

* * *

"Prepare yourself, Shippo. It's time," Tamaki warned the newest host. Kagome rolled her eyes as the blond boy settled himself into an elegant pose. Today's theme seemed to be Arabian Nights; elegant silks and decorated turbans were strategically placed to show ample amount of skin (or hair, in the case of the headwear. Weren't turbans meant to cover hair?). The hosts looked beautiful, but Kagome refused to acknowledge it. Hosting in itself disgusted her.

What appeal did these girls find in a bunch of boys lying about their true feelings?

"Remember to experiment with your recommended host types," Kyoya reminded from behind Tamaki. He wore deep purple clothing in comparison to Tamaki's light blue. The Shadow King had given Shippo a list of attitude characteristics to try out and see which worked best. Rebel, sporty, artsy, and a thoughtful author were all included in Kyouya's written advice, but Shippo had tried them all out for Kagome and Sesshomaru, and Kagome already knew that none of them worked. Mischievous was the type that she would peg him as, but Tamaki was adamantly against the idea. Apparently the twins already had that role.

"Alright," Shippo said even though he knew he was setting himself up for failure. Kagome huffed at his side.

"I understand that I'm helping to pay back my debt, but I don't see why I have to wear these," she said, pointing upwards. Two yellow cat ears poked out of her head. They were attached to a headband that was covered by her long, dark hair. The embarrassing ensemble was apparently her Host Club uniform, according to the twins.

"Because you're the Host Club Cat, and they make you look authentic as well as adorable!" Tamaki said from his chair. He winked in her direction, causing her to stick out her tongue back. At least he wasn't trying to spin her around in circles like the first time he saw her in the cat ears.

"This is humiliating," Kagome moaned as the door opened. She wasn't ready for this. Social exclusion that was worse than before was bound to be in her future, and she couldn't handle the fear that was compressing her chest. She didn't want to be made fun of. She didn't want to be talked about behind her back. She just wanted to go back to her home and have a nice warm coffee prepared by her mother.

Too bad that was never going to happen. Not anymore.

The next few minutes passed in a blink. Squealing girls entered, quickly found seats at different stations, then began conversations with their selected hosts. It all happened so quickly that Kagome wasn't sure what to do with herself (at least until Kyoya sent her for some tea). Cheeks burning from all the stares, she scurried off to make the beverage.

Kagome thought that the next hour was going to be excruciatingly horrible; that she'd never be able to look her peers in the eyes again. It turns out that she was wrong, because it was so much worse than that. It seemed that there were only two proper responses to female servitude, and they either happened to be curiosity (she was sure she'd want to rip off not only her fake ears but the real ones too once she entered class tomorrow) or an envious anger. Two out of three girls at Shippo's table had taken on the later emotion, so Kagome kept a silent vigil near the door when she wasn't being ordered around by the hosts. Shippo was too busy trying (and failing) to find a host type that he didn't notice Kagome's plight.

"-do you think of the new uniforms, Shippo?" a second year girl asked. "I was horrified to find that the dresses had been replaced. Now we look just like the grade schoolers, except in yellow."

"Yellow is a beautiful color. It reminds us to live in each moment and to enjoy ourselves on the ride of life," Shippo said thoughtfully. Kagome wasn't sure if that was an attempt at the artsy or thoughtful-writer type, but whatever it was, it was awful. Two of the other girls apparently thought so too. They traded a confused glance, but a third girl began talking, oblivious to the awkward tension.

"I was simply appalled at the new girl uniforms," she agreed with the first girl. "In fact, I had my daddy contact the Chairman of Ouran. I simply would not stand for it, because those dresses were so pretty! Daddy tried to fix the issue, but no amount of convincing or bribing would sway the Chairman's decision. That means someone very prestigious must have a hand in this, otherwise Daddy could've bought them over. He's the head of the Tsukuda Rice Corporation, you know."

"Who cares about uniforms anyways? I don't even wear them most of the time," Shippo said while casually glancing away from the girls. Kagome assumed he was attempting the rebel type at this point. However, it was ruined by the perfectly pressed and ironed uniform that hung neatly on the side of the couch, not worn only because of the green lungi that covered his waist. It left his chest provocatively exposed, which is probably why the girls were still at his station. If it were Kagome, she would've left after his deep interpretation of the color yellow. Although these girls obviously didn't have the same opinions as Kagome if they thought those dresses that used to be Ouran's uniform were _pretty_. There was only one condition eventually placed on Sesshomaru if he wanted her to go to Ouran, and it was that she didn't want to wear that monstrosity of a dress. Either he changed the uniform or she dressed as a male. Sesshomaru quickly called Ouran and gave a generous offer to change the female uniforms. After all, it wouldn't be realistic for a girl to pull off being a guy for longer than a few days. What would happen when she had to use the bathroom? When they had to go to the locker rooms for gym? When physical exams came up? Or when Shadow Kings with stalkerish tendencies did a background check on her and discovered she was lying (thank kami that she avoided that road).

"So how is the Host Club Cat fairing?" a voice in Kagome's ear asked. She gasped and spun around, staring into the face of Hikaru. Or Kaoru. She wasn't sure which.

"Why do you care?" she replied grumpily.

"Aw, you poor pretty kitty, forced to watch from the sidelines." the second twin said at her left.

"Hikaru! Do you really think that Kagome is pretty? Would you rather look at her than at me?"

"Never Kaoru! You are the most beautiful person in the world! You're my candle in the dark, my lighthouse out at sea; there is nothing that could possibly divert my attention from you!"

"Oh Hikaru!"

Kagome rolled her eyes as the two embraced, causing fangirls all around the room to drop dead from the kawaii-overdose. Those two were ridiculous, and Kagome had yet to see the appeal. The way she saw it, the two were identical. So, by saying that one was beautiful, the other was just being a dramatic narcissist. Plus the whole incest act was annoyingly fake. How did none of the girls see the identical smugness behind their dramatics? This was all just a game to them. And Kagome hated being played.

Her fist tightened. She hated liars, and that was all that these boys were. Glorified liars.

"Do you promise to never leave me Hikaru?"

"Of course I won't leave you. I told you that just last night in bed, remember? After we had our fun?"

The girls were going delirious. Everyone was watching by this point, even the other hosts. Hikaru caught Kagome's unamused glare and sent her a grin equivalent to the Cheshire Cat's.

"You know, Kaoru, I was thinking, maybe next time we play in our room, we should invite someone else to come. What do you think? Should we take Kagome?"

A sly glance in her direction caused her to glower at Hikaru's twin.

"I think that sounds like fun, Hikaru. I would love to... play... with Kagome."

"Alright, that's enough! Back off!" Shippo's voice yelled. He pushed both twins bodily up against the wall. Gasps from the girls echoed across the music room. The image he made, half-naked and threatening the two rascals if they ever came near Kagome again, made hearts stop and screams of delight to freeze in throats.

"KAWAII!" the girls all around the room yelled. Kagome stared around wide-eyed as girls surrounded the three red-heads like a swarm of ants.

"What's happening?" she said, flushed from the twins' teasing and unsure if she should attempt to cut through the throng of girls to stop Shippo or not.

"Well, miss Higurashi, I do believe that we just classified your brother's host type," Kyoya said while restraining Tamaki, who was trying to join the girls to fangirl himself.

"Huh?" Kagome asked, still confused. "What type is he?"

"Possessive," came a deep voice, sending Kagome's jaw straight to the floor. Takashi Morinozuka could speak? She had been half sure that he was made out of stone! And now Shippo was apparently popular with the ladies. What is this world coming to?

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**Author's Note: Next chapter! I want to give a special thanks to the 12 encouraging reviewers; you all are awesome! There was one review that mentioned I need to make this original, and I can promise you all that I'll try my best to avoid the ****redundant**** plot lines most authors use for these stories. The beginning ****chapters**** will be light and fun, and we'll get into all of the angst later on. This will be my last day with internet for the next four days, and I'll try to post something on Friday, but since I'm on a mission trip I'm not sure how much time I'll have. But expect something ny late Tuesday at the latest (of next week, not the incoming one)!**

**Special thanks to kakashixangela for pointing out a mistake last chapter! I accidentally called Kagome Haruhi at one point :) Don't worry I fixed it.**

**Remember, this has no beta, so let me know if you see any spelling or grammar mistakes!**

**Read & Review please!**


	3. Chapter 3: The Host Club Enemy

Keep Your Enemies Closer

**Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. Anything you recognize is owned by Bisco Hatori! I receive absolutely no money from writing fanfiction.**

**(The authors note is at the bottom.)**

* * *

It was once again that time when Kagome wanted to kill herself. She was certainly no supporter of suicide, but in moments like these, she could understand why people considered it.

Math. The enigma that ruins her life on a daily basis.

She used to be good at it, but after a year of learning trigonometry from a textbook, her skills fell far behind. Now the numbers on the board were as foreign as the words in her Conversational French class.

"Please don't be for a grade, please don't be for a grade," Kagome muttered under her breath. Shippo flashed her a smile. He sat in front of her, so he naturally heard everything she said due to his kitsune-hearing.

"Sorry I forgot to help you last night. I was so tired after hosting," he whispered. Kagome made a face.

"I hate that entire club. It's so fake! I can't wait for my debt to be paid."

Shippo nodded his head and smiled before quickly facing the teacher. Kagome could tell that the words made him nervous; he was probably thinking that they would dredge up the old feelings she'd buried from InuYasha. She hated how Shippo constantly tiptoed around the subject of their old hanyou friend as if he were a bomb waiting to explode. Yes, she was upset when he chose Kikyo over her and yes, she might've sworn off men since then, but only the lying types! She wasn't about to bite off Shippo's ear for something that he didn't even do. She'd much more rather spend her time ripping off the ears of his fellow hosts.

Speak of the devil.

Or devils, in this case.

The twins, who both sat to her left, turned towards her in perfect synchronization. "You hate our club, Kagome kitty?" Kaoru asked in a faux-saddened tone.

"Oh Kaoru, don't listen to our newest toy. The poor thing just doesn't understand," Hikaru said, shaking his head pityingly.

"I think I understand perfectly," Kagome snapped.

"No you don't," the two voices said together. "But don't worry, we'll teach you."

"What do you mean, you'll-"

"Thank you for handing in your GRADED assignments. If your paper is absent you will be receiving a zero."

Kagome's head thunked onto her desk, annoying pests forgotten. This was it. Her life was ruined. She was a failure. She'd never make it past high school, and she'd never prove herself. She'd be stuck living off of Sesshomaru's money like that worthless relative who never has the ambition to leave the couch and eventually just becomes a stain on the leather. She was done for. To be honest, she might as well just order a new couch already; it'll last her a few more years.

"And now we are going to begin our first partner project. Please get into groups of three and turn to page 348," the teacher at the front announced. Kagome barely had time to wonder how they were already three hundred pages into the textbook on the second week of school before the twin closest to her acted. He hooked her chair with his foot and swung it into Shippo's, knocking him into the Fujioka kid and sending Kagome skidding to a halt in front of them.

"Our group is ready!" Hikaru called out. The teacher glanced up and wrote down their three names onto the board under Group A. All the while, Kagome was recovering from a sudden wave of disorientation.

"I... Uh... What?" She asked stupidly.

"You're working on math with us for an indefinite amount of time!" The two said cheerily with a wink, causing some of Kagome's female classmates to glare at her. She felt her jaw drop.

"What? I didn't sign up for this!" She exclaimed.

"Like hell she's working with you two outside of class," Shippo snarled from his spot on the floor. He stood up and towered over Kaoru's desk. "You guys stay away from her!"

"Hey, back off!" Hikaru said protectively. Host Club regulars began swooning, unable to resist the manly allure coming from the three red heads. Shippo and Hikaru stood nose to nose, tensed for a fight while Kaoru stood behind his twin with an arm placed in front of Kagome to push her out of the way if necessary. The picture before the girls made them yearn to be in Kagome's place more than anything in the world. As the commotion in the classroom heightened and the number of fainting peers increased, the oblivious teacher stared at the board, trying to determine what was wrong.

"Mister Higurashi and mister Fujioka, it would seem that you are the only ones left without a group," he said. "You'll be paired together with mister Kasanoda from Class 1-D, as he apparently could not find a group." The mention of the name Kasanoda ruined the Hostly mood and the customers who hadn't already fainted composed themselves. The teacher nodded to himself as he wrote the last group on the board then faced the class.

"Oh my. What happened here?" He asked, staring wide-eyed at the random bodies laying sprawled on the floor. The clock tower rang, disrupting any possible responses from the students as they all (except for a certain messy-haired scholarship student) rushed out of the classroom and towards the lunch hall. Kagome stomped out of the classroom with Shippo, sputtering and complaining about the Hitachiins.

"They won't leave me alone! I have to see them in all of my classes - even my ELECTIVES, for goodness' sake, why did I choose Conversational French; I'm not even good at it anyways - and then they're there during the Host Club, and now I'm probably going to have to seen them _outside_ of school to work on math with them!" Kagome grouched to Shippo. The Kitsune shrugged as he ordered his lunch.

"You probably won't see them outside of Ouran, to be honest. I doubt that Sesshomaru would allow it," Shippo said. The two walked to an empty table in the back of the hall. Kagome unwrapped her homemade bento as Shippo dug into his professionally prepared meal.

"That's true," she agreed. "There's no way he'll let those twins near me after school."

"There's no way who won't let us near you?" Kaoru suddenly asked as he say down on Kagome's right.

"I'd like to see them try," Hikaru said as he joined his twin. Kagome glared at them.

"None of your business," she snapped. "Why are you even here? Go sit with your customers or something."

"We only do that during club hours. It would get boring otherwise," they both said.

"Besides, we'd much rather sit with our newest toy," Hikaru added.

"I. Am not. Your TOY!" Kagome growled, her clenched fists beginning to tremble. Those words sent an anger clenching in her belly that she had only recently discovered with InuYasha's help. She refused to be messed around or played with without any regards to her feelings. She was not an object to be used for amusement or for temporary pleasure; she was a living, breathing girl who was passionate in every aspect of her life. When she held feelings for InuYasha it was not some trifling crush; it was a serious he-could-be-the-one type of affection that filled her very soul. So when InuYasha chose Kikyo over her she was crushed; it felt as though her heart inside her chest had withered and crumpled in on itself. She hated people who played with her, or who played with _anyone_ for that matter. And these twins were two of the worst offenders she'd ever seen.

"I'll say it one more time. Leave Kagome alone," Shippo growled, whipping out of his seat across from Kagome in a flash.

"Mister Higurashi, please be seated. We do not want to cause a scene," a cool calculated voice said.

Apparently the other four worst offenders had arrived. Sometimes Kagome actually wondered what she did in a past life to make the universe hate her so much.

"KAGOME!" Tamaki screamed in delight. He hugged her from behind, nuzzling his face into her hair. She instantly blushed at the intimate gesture, squirming to escape the cage of his arms.

"Get off of me!" She yelled, her anger fueled by his actions.

"Oh, but I missed you so much, my kitten," Tamaki said. He began stroking her hair as one would with a pet. "Did you miss daddy? Did those evil twins bother you today?"

"Not as much as you're bothering me right now!"

"Hah! Hear that boss? She likes us better."

"What? No! This can't be true! Kagome, don't listen to them; they're brainwashing you! Mommy, help our poor cat!"

"I'm not a cat!"

"Yes you are, Kagome-chan! You're the Host Club's cat!"

"Are you all insane? I'm not a part of the Host Club, and I'm certainly not a cat!"

Could they not hear the venom in her voice or see the anger vibrating throughout her body? These boys were seriously ticking her off. Shippo fidgeted nervously. Kyoya stared at her with a small smirk playing across his lips.

"You most certainly are, Kagome. You are ours until you really your debt. Until then, you are a part of the Host Club, and will do as we see fit. I even think there's a part of you that enjoys it. You seem to be adapting to your new role quite well."

That blew it. She was done.

"THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY THAT I LIKE THE HOST CLUB. IT'S THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE. I HATE IT! I HATE THE HOST CLUB! I AM THE ENEMY OF THE HOST CLUB! AND WHEN I FINISH OFF MY DEBT, THERE IS NO WAY THAT I'M EVER COMING BACK!"

Whispers from surrounding tables began flitting back and forth from spectator to spectator. All eyes rested on the eight of them as Tamaki's eyes began to fill with tears.

"Enemy?" He cried. "No Kagome! You're not our enemy! You're our beloved kitty!" Was he for real, Kagome had to wonder, or did he have some sort of mental issue?

"That's it. I'm out of here," she muttered. It was too much. The anger, the humiliation, the whispers and the stares; she needed to go home. Shippo ran after her as she fled from the lunch hall, Tamaki's echoing voice lingering in her mind as he called for her to come back.

* * *

**Author's Note: Aw, poor Kagome :( I hadn't ****planned on any real angst happening yet, but the chapter just seemed to end here. We'll see the beloved Sesshomaru next time! :) Now that I'm back from my mission trip, expect frequent updates. I'm so excited! Also, I realized that I've been spelling Kyoya as Kyouya... yeah, I don't know how that happened either. But I went back and fixed it!**

**AND THANK YOU ALL REVIEWERS! You're all so awesome and I love hearing your opinions about future chapters! I wanted to let you know that while I have a basic plot outlined fro this story, there aren't a lot of details, so if there's a scene or an idea that you want to share with me, let me know, and I'll in corporate it if I think it'll fit with the flow of the story!**

**Remember, this has no beta, so let me know if you see any spelling or grammar mistakes!**

**Read & Review please!**


	4. Chapter 4: Home Sweet Home

Keep Your Enemies Closer

**Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. Anything you recognize is owned by Bisco Hatori! I receive absolutely no money from writing fanfiction.**

**(The authors note is at the bottom.)**

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Kagome and Shippo sat side by side outside of Ouran in a beautifully kept garden. Flowers that were vibrant with life stayed in carefully organized hedges, creating a safe haven for the two of them. A large sigh escaped Kagome's mouth.

"If you hate it so much, you should just ask Sesshomaru to help you out," Shippo said. Kagome began to pick at one of the roses on the hedges, the petals crumbling beneath her wandering fingers.

"I don't want to ask him for anything more than he's already done. To be honest, I don't even know why he's been helping us."

"Don't be like that, Kagome. You know Sesshomaru isn't who we thought he was."

"No, that isn't what I meant. I know he's not cruel or heartless," Kagome said quickly. "I don't mean to sound paranoid or ungrateful, but... I just don't know what his motives are."

"I think you're certainly in your rights to have a little paranoia," Shippo said with a soft smile. Kagome let out a half hearted chuckle. "And you don't sound ungrateful. But seriously; I know you hate the club, and Sesshomaru would pay back your debt without blinking an eye. He is Lord of the West, after all."

"I know he would, but I refuse to depend on him anymore. This is my mess, and I can fix it." No matter how horrible it may be, Kagome added in her head.

"Well, maybe you should take some time to think about it."

"There's nothing to think about-"

"Hey! What are you doing to my flowers?!" a gruff voice yelled, cutting Kagome off. The face of the male that was briskly walking toward them reminded Kagome so much of a demon that she instinctually reached for her missing bow. He was made of lean, solid muscle, sharp features and a cold expression. His red hair flopped in his eyes as he glared at her. Kagome immediately let go of the rose she was killing.

"S-sorry," Kagome stuttered, surprised at the amount of intimidation that she felt. He wasn't a demon; she'd be able to feel it if he was, but he frightened her as much as one would. She breathed in through her nose and tried to gather her courage.

The boy huffed as he inspected the plant. Almost all of its petals were gone, laying in a shredded pile on the ground. "It won't happen again," she ventured tentatively. He glanced up and just looked at her for a moment. Then-

"AAAAAAAARGH!" He yelled in frustration. Kagome cried out and leaped back in fear. Shippo pushed her behind him and charged at the boy.

"Leave her alone! What'd she ever do to you?" Shippo said, aiming a fist at the boy's head. He effectively dodged it and growled at Shippo.

"And what'd she ever do to them?" He snapped pointing to the disheveled flower.

"Seriously? It's a plant, not a person." The words seemed to deflate the thug. He turned around and shrugged, not facing them.

"They like me better than people do," he said.

"Probably because you don't yell at them like a psychotic murderer."

"I didn't mean to scare her! I was just angry, that's all. I have a mean face; I can't help it."

"It's okay," Kagome chimed in. She bent down and picked up the petals, hiding them in her fist. "It was my fault anyways. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

"I - uh - well, it's okay. I guess." He seemed flustered, Kagome noticed, as if he wasn't sure how to proceed with the conversation. Not that they could talk for any longer; if they didn't hurry home, Sesshomaru would probably get worried. As in send-his-personal-military-to-track-them-down worried. Apparently this was a common practice among the members of Japan's elitists, although Kagome couldn't fathom why anyone would need their own army.

"Thank you for accepting my apology. These are very beautiful gardens, by the way." She tugged on Shippo's shirt sleeve. "Come on, we'd better get home soon."

At the click of Shippo's cell phone, a limo equipped with bulletproof (aka demonproof) windows that was built from steel smoothly pulled up. The driver was a man named Makoto. He was one of the two people on staff allowed to regularly set foot in Sesshomaru's estate; the other being a sweet lady named Haruko who spent her hours cooking meals for the four residents. On Sundays Sesshomaru cleared the house and a large group of maids came in to clean and to housekeep, but for the time being, no one else was allowed while the house was occupied.

And what a large house it was. She'd been living here for nearly five weeks and Kagome had yet to walk into the estate without being stunned. Twisting hallways were made up of dark expensive wood and large grandiose rooms were set for different purposes such as a dining hall of a ballroom. However, as Sesshomaru said before, that was just for appearances. He had never been one to be tied down, preferring to wander wherever he liked, but as the years went on and society matured, this became impossible. And thus the Manor was built; a beautiful and pricey mansion that was seldom used except for the three rooms far back in the west wing. It was there that Sesshomaru, Shippo, Sota, and Kagome lived. All three rooms were spacious and well lived in. The first room that they passed was the family room. Other than a TV, large couch, and a popcorn machine, the room was practically empty. There was a large, soft rug that laid between the couch and the television that Kagome and Sota loved to lay on while watching their favorite shows, but besides that, it had no decoration. Sesshomaru found accessories to be useless and annoying.

Through the door was a mixture between an office and a dining hall. Desks were placed around the room and large bookcases were stacked all over without any particular order. Maps were littered across the wall with different markings on each. In the privacy of her head Kagome called this the War Room; it was a space that screamed of knowledge and experience. It was also the place where she worked on her school work, and that was a whole different type of battle.

The next room was the Den. There were four beds - one in each corner of the room - and two adjacent bathrooms. One was for Kagome and Sota while the other was used by Sesshomaru and Shippo. At first, Kagome had been entirely uncomfortable with the sleeping arrangements, but Shippo had sat her down and explained that Sesshomaru needed to keep everyone close so that he could protect them. It was apparently an inu yokai thing, and as Shippo had pointed out, they'd slept together in the feudal era in sleeping bags. How was this every different? To be honest, it was better than the feudal era, because instead of sleeping bags they had beds and instead of Mosquitos they had air conditioning. Ah, the wonders of modern day technology.

It was in the War Room where Kagome and Shippo found Sesshomaru. He was bent over a pile of paperwork, so absorbed in the writing that he didn't acknowledge the two of them until he'd finished.

"You are late," he said, turning to face them. The lamplight illuminated his silver hair, making the yokai more beautiful and ethereal than usual. "This Sesshomaru was beginning to worry."

"Sorry. I got a little upset and it took Shippo a while to calm me down."

"No thanks to that plant-obsessed jerk of a student," Shippo said haughtily. He shrugged off his jacket and sprawled across the chair of his desk. "He started telling at Kags because she was hurting a flower. One little flower. What was his problem, anyways?"

"They were obviously important to him," Kagome said in the absent ruffian's defense.

"Stop being so nice. He was rude to you, and you shouldn't let whoever he was off the hook like that."

"Should this Sesshomaru eliminate the student for you?" Sesshomaru inquired. She sweat marked as The Lord of the West stared her down. He was only joking... right?

"Um, no thanks. That won't be necessary," Kagome replied haltingly. His continued cold gaze was the only response she received. "Okay... so is Sota home?"

"He is in the Den and does not wish to be disturbed. As do I." With that welcoming statement, Sesshomaru returned to his paperwork. Kagome sighed softly and Shippo sent her an encouraging wink. Things were hard; the Host Club was always on her back, Sota was having trouble adjusting, Kagome couldn't read Sesshomaru for the life of her, she was struggling in her studies, and she missed her mom and grandpa. But she knew she could pull through this. Kagome had never been much of a pessimist, and she wasn't about to start now. She had her brother, her best friend who was posing as her half brother, and her... whatever Sesshomaru was to her. She had her own little misfit family, and in time, they'd figure everything out.

Shippo gestured toward the Family Room with his head. They quietly let Sesshomaru get back to his work and instead flipped on the television. Kagome sprawled out on the fluffy brown rug, making snow angels with her arms and legs. Shippo barked out a laugh.

"What in the world are you doing," he asked.

"Nothing," she replied with a grin. Kagome sat up and fixed him with a hard stare.

"What?" He asked self-consciously.

"It's hard for me to remember that you're not a little kid anymore; that you're way older and much more experienced than I am," Kagome admitted.

"You bet I am. This is the eighth time I'm going through high school. The _eighth_. And the classes get harder every time I take them." The absurdity of the statement set Kagome into a fit of laughter. Shippo grinned and tugged on a lock of her hair in punishment.

"I am sorry, though. About all that's happened, and how you can't go back," Shippo admitted. "It's true that I'm not a kid anymore, and you can't baby me. But think of it this way; you took care of me back then, and now it's my turn to take care of you."

"Oh Shippo," Kagome said softly. She was touched. Although she had occasionally been missing her innocent and significantly smaller kitsune friend, his older and more mischievous counterpart was fun to have around as well. "Why don't we forget about all that and just take care of each other?"

"Sorry Kags, but I think that in this case you're the one in danger." At Kagome's frown Shippo quickly tried to backtrack. "Uh - but - yeah, let's take care of each other. You can keep buying me candy and ice cream; I had to survive nearly three hundred years without it once you left, and I'd rather take another eight sessions of high school than go a day without sugar."

Soon enough Kagome was laughing again and the two friends were enjoying their show. The red haired thug from earlier and the Host Club was pushed out of her mind for the moment. The only thing that lingered was her worry for Sota. What should she do to help her younger brother?

"Sota, would you like to join us?" Kagome called.

"No," came her brother's reply, firm and unyielding. Kagome wilted slightly on her spot on the floor. Shippo patted her head softly.

"Don't worry about it too much, Kagome. He's not as tough as you are. But he'll be able to move on eventually. Why don't we go find Haruko and ask her to whip us up some brownies before dinner?"

"No sweets before your meal," Sesshomaru's voice said from the next room over, letting his paternal side out. But Shippo was already dragging Kagome down the winding halls, tripping and laughing as they went.

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**Author's Note: Aw, I love their ****little family :) I'm actually quite attached to those four. Expect a lot of them in the future!**

**AND GUESS WHAT! ARTEMISGIRL IS READING THIS FIC AND LIKES IT SO FAR! THANK YOU SO MUCH, I'M SO EXCITED THAT YOU LIKE IT because Heiress is one of my favorite fanfics ever :D**

**Remember, this has no beta, so let me know if you see any spelling or grammar mistakes!**

**Read & Review please!**


	5. Chapter 5: The Game Begins

Keep Your Enemies Closer

**Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. Anything you recognize is owned by Bisco Hatori! I receive absolutely no money from writing fanfiction.**

**(The authors note is at the bottom.)**

* * *

Kagome knew the kidnapping was going to occur. It was obvious in the way that the twins kept glancing at her, more-so than usual. So when the time for lunch rolled around, she wasn't surprised when they each grabbed one of her arms and began marching her in the opposite direction of the lunch hall, or when Shippo raced after them, yelling for the boys to release her, or even when they entered an unused classroom with the Host Club inside.

What did surprise her were the thrones set in a wide semi circle around the room. There were seven of them, and only three were unoccupied. The remaining Host Club members were placed in the large and lavish seats, with Tamaki at the center. As the doors shut behind her - _and did they just lock?_ - the blond King vaulted himself off of his chair and threw himself at her.

"KAGOME!" he cried and wrapped himself around her like a spider monkey. She staggered backwards. Hikaru and Kaoru steadied her as Shippo tried to pry Tamaki off, but his grip held firm.

"What is going on," she gasped.

"Well, ever since your little outburst yesterday, Tamaki has been rather... upset," Kyoya stated on the chair to Tamaki's right.

"You mustn't disappear like that, my darling kitten! We couldn't find your phone number-"

"-the only number I've never been able to find," Kyoya added, for some reason making the statement sound like a threat.

"-and we don't know where you live! Your Shrine was empty!"

"You - you guys went to my Shrine?" Kagome asked, her throat going dry. Tamaki frantically nodded his head, his curls rubbing against Kagome's neck in a ticklish manner.

"Yes! And you weren't there! I needed to see what was wrong with my kitten and why she would say that she - that she -"

"Hates us?" Honey filled in with an out-of-context smile. Tamaki was suddenly shot by a flying arrow and collapsed to the ground.

"That's because I do," Kagome said flatly. Another arrow struck Tamaki in the chest. He skidded across the floor and into hit his head on the foot of his throne.

"But why would you hate us Kagome?" Honey asked, pulling at her shirt sleeve.

"It's because you're all so fake!" she snapped, pulling her arm away. "You're lying to bunches of girls and playing with their feelings just because you can. It's disgusting!"

"Hey, who said anything about being fake?" one twin said indignantly.

"We're not playing around," the other one agreed. Kagome fixed her hard glare on them.

"Oh please, the whole twincest act? And what about those eye drops?" Kagome accused.

"I don't use eye drops!" Tamaki proudly exclaimed, leaping up off the floor. "You see? I am not fake, so you don't hate me!"

"You're the worst of them all, Tamaki senpai. Please don't insult my intelligence," she said. He wailed and turned to Kyoya.

"Mommy, what do we do? Our pet hates us!" he whimpered with tears running down his face. Kyoya sighed and adjusted his glasses.

"Well Tamaki, she says that she hates us because we are fake. So to make her not hate us..."

"We have to prove our authenticity!" Tamaki exclaimed, suddenly exuberant. He leaped into his chair, crossed his legs, and rsted his head against his hand with a wide smile. The twins grabbed Shippo and gestured for him to take a spot in the chair closest to Kagome before sitting in their own seats. Suddenly Kagome felt like a criminal, facing the authorities in a court room. She stood in front of them all, small and common, while they lorded above her in their large and prestigious chairs. She felt her irritation level reach an all time high.

"I don't see why you guys care so much. You barely know me, and once I pay off my debt, you'll never see me again."

"Nonsense, Kagome. You are a part of the Host Club now, and as such, you are a part of our family." Tamaki smiled softly at her.

"As a cat," Kagome stated.

"Yes! Our darling little kitten!"

Kagome decided that this boy was deranged and obviously needed to visit a doctor.

"Now, gentleman, how do we to about proving that we are not fakers? Any ideas?"

"Let's make a game out of it," Hikaru and Kaoru said in unison.

"What kind of game?" Honey asked from his spot on Tamaki's left.

"The Prove Your Worth Game!" one of the twins - Hikaru, maybe? She thought that he parted his hair that way the other day - exclaimed.

"The winners are whoever convinces Kagome that they're not fake by the end of the week. It starts today, so we have seven days; at the end of next Tuesday, whoever has not earned Kagome's trust is a loser, and losers aren't allowed to have Kagome sit at their Hosting Station!" said Kaoru eagerly.

"I have the perfect prize as well," Kyoya said calmly. He waved a picture in the air. With a start, Kagome realized it was a picture of _herself_, during the disaster of a play where she was a princess and Inuyasha barged on stage to kill a demon. How had he gotten that? The obvious truth of the matter made Kagome taste bile in her mouth.

Kyoya was a stalker.

This fact combined with Tamaki's distinct lack of mental stability and the twins' delinquent-ness made her uneasy. Maybe she should go to Sesshomaru and have him help her with the debt; these boys were unstable, unpredictable, and worst of all, uncontrollable. She should probably keep her distance, or who knows what may happen.

"This game has rules," Shippo said sternly from his throne. Kagome gaped at him.

"Shippo! You can't seriously be going along with this!" she said, affronted. He simply ignored her.

"There's no leaving school without me. Wherever Kagome goes, I need to be there with her."

"Why?" Hikaru complained. "We want Kagome, not you." Shippo shot him a withering look.

"Also, she has complete control. If she says to get off her, you don't touch her. If she says she wants to leave, you let her leave." Shippo narrowed his eyes as he looked at everyone in the semi circle one by one. "You all seem to be under the impression that people should do whatever you want whenever you want, but I'm not going to put up with you dragging Kagome all over against her will."

"Agreed," Kyoya said. He had one hand on Tamaki's head, pushing the self-acclaimed King down into his own chair while holding the picture of Kagome in his other hand, far away from the desperate boy.

"Perfect! Let the games begin," Shippo said with a smile and a clap if his hands. Kagome squeaked in indignation.

"I never agreed to this! What happened to 'Kagome has complete control'?!"

"Well I overrule you in this case. As your big brother, I'm just looking out for you, and I think that this will be good for you." Shippo smirked down at her. The urge to punch something grew stronger.

"You're impossible! And you -" she whirled around and pointed to Tamaki - "If I'm actually a part of the Host Club like you keep saying, then why am I down here when all of you have your ginormous thrones?" Tamaki twisted in his chair to face her. In his surprise he forgot about Kyoya, who took the brief opportunity to slip the picture of Kagome back into his uniform pocket.

"Well, these are for the hosts. But don't worry my kitten! I didn't forget about you!" Tamaki pointed to the foot of his throne. "There's your seat!"

The classroom was silent for about thirty seconds until Hikaru and Kaoru burst out in laughter. "Oh Boss, you just keep digging a deeper hole for yourself," Hikaru managed to get out between guffaws. Kagome stared blankly at the puffy purple human-sized cat cushion. Yes, a literal feline accessory was sitting in front of her, and yes, Tamaki brought it with the intent of her sitting on it. All the energy seemed to drain out of her. This was hopeless. These people; they were insane. She turned around and exited the room. The twins' laughter and Shippo's footsteps followed her out into the hallway.

She was intent on eating her lunch in a place where she could keep her sanity, for who knew how much longer she'd have it with this new game in action.

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**Authors Note: YAY the new game is starting! :) I'm looking forward to this. Kagome will get to know each host on a personal level! Who do you think will be winners, and who will be the losers? And did you guys see that I (finally) put a cover picture for this story? Those are hard to make, and I'm afraid that it's not that good. Oh well, at least it's not too boring anymore!**

**Remember, this has no beta, so let me know if you see any spelling or grammar mistakes.**

**Read and Review please! I'm having so much fun reading all of your reviews. A special thanks to all previous reviewers!**


	6. Chapter 6: Chika's Revelation

Keep Your Enemies Closer

**Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. Anything you recognize is owned by Bisco Hatori! I receive absolutely no money from writing fanfiction.**

**(The authors note is at the bottom.)**

* * *

Even though Kagome barely knew her senpai, she could tell that Tamaki Suho was not the most subtle person. He was radiant, flamboyant, loud, and proud; so, naturally, his methods for convincing Kagome of his authenticity of a host were rather... blatantly obvious.

He began his task immediately, the very same day that the game was established. Kagome had trudged up winding staircases all the way to Music Room #3 with Shippo, berating him the entire trip for giving his consent to this stupid game. "You're encouraging them!" she'd exclaimed, and Shippo had nodded and explained that that was his plan the entire time. Needless to say, Kagome was not talking to her supposed half brother when they entered the Host Club's domain. Too little too late Kagome realized her mistake. Without Shippo at her side, she was vulnerable.

Tamaki had exploited this chance and ordered her to bring him and his guests tea multiple times. On each occasion that she was summoned, Tamaki had tried to prove to her his genuine actions. He'd called one girl his flower and then give her a bouquet, told another that being with her brought tears of joy to his eyes (and then promptly shed a few), declared that being the King of the Host Club was his greatest joy to the entire room, and whispered in her ear that she was his most beloved princess and offered to host with solely her for the rest of the day. Kagome blushed and, to cover her embarrassment, snapped at him. "You wouldn't know genuine if it danced naked in front of you!" she growled before stalking off, leaving Tamaki to his corner of despair.

It was a little while later that Mori and Honey approached Kagome. This surprised her; to be honest, she'd thought the twins would be the next contestants. Yet it was Honey who bounded up to her and said in his cutesy voice, "Gome-chan, we've been thinking all night about how to convince you that we're not fake, and we think we've found the best way. Will you hear us out?" Kagome had hesitated, but Mori was the one who convinced her. With his simple plea hidden in the word "come" she'd given in and followed the two of them out of the Music Room while everyone else was busy hosting.

And that was where she was now; walking down one of the endless hallways that were constructed as if length equaled wealth. Honestly, she didn't need to join any sports to stay fit here in Ouran; going across the campus was equivalent to a full workout. Mori walked on her left, silent and imposing, while Honey skipped along on her right, with Usa-chan in one hand as he chattered on about how it's okay that Shippo didn't accompany them because they asked the person they were going to meet to wait outside next to the fountain. Kagome let out a little sigh and glanced at her shorter senpai.

After Tamaki, Honey was the one that bothered her the most. There was absolutely no way that a boy two years older than her acted more childish than Sota did four years ago. It was obviously a fake display to attract girls to the Host Club that were into that sort of thing, and it ticked Kagome off. Not only was Honey senpai giving himself a fake reputation and purposefully acting like a toddler, but he was dragging other girls into this. She was sure that the real Mitsukuni Haninozuka was devious and quite the actor, for she'd never seen him break character. But she was positive that this cute elementary-looking boy beside her was not the real him. There was no way.

Mori, however, was a different story. Out of all the hosts, he was the most tolerable. While he went along with his Honey's plans and pretended to serve him, Kagome never saw him directly manipulate girls. Sure, by helping Honey when he had a crying fit or by grabbing the boy lolita a piece of cake spontaneously he created fangirls and indirectly played with their feelings, but Kagome could tell that his affection for Honey was genuine. So Mori was the least at fault in her mind, although not unexcused from her earlier declaration. While his fondness may be real, Kagome knew that the servant part was not, so he was still grouped in with the rest of the hosts.

"Alright, we're almost there!" Honey cried out cheerfully in his childish voice. It grated on Kagome's ears and she had to fight her instinctual reaction to cover them with her hands.

"Mitsukuni, you should wait here," Mori said. Kagome tried not to stare at him in shock. He'd spoken twice in the last half hour; a record breaker, she was sure.

"No, Takashi. I want to be there when Kagome becomes our friend," Honey said. He looked at her straight in the eyes and grinned. She glanced away, uncomfortable. Was she feeling... guilty? Maybe she had been a little harsh, declaring her hatred for all of them like that. But they deserved it; there was no excuse for manipulating the girls in this school, no matter how annoying and meaningless they were to Kagome.

"Let's just get this over with," she mumbled to her shoes as they all stepped out from behind the corner of the school. Two middle school boys stood by the pond. One was a little taller than Honey with brown hair and glasses, but they had similar facial features. The other one was an exact replica of Mori, except shorter and with baby fat still lingering. Had her senpais brought her here to talk with their younger brothers?

"Chika-chan!" exclaimed Honey happily. The boy's eyes flashed, clear anger lurking behind his glasses.

"Mitsukuni, prepare yourself," the boy who was apparently named Chika-chan said determinedly with a slight tilt to his head. Kagome turned from being confused at the odd greeting to horrified in a heartbeat as Chika was suddenly high in the air above their heads and catapulting towards the ground, directly to Honey. He was going to get hurt, and Honey was going to be injured right along with him! She contemplated yelling at the boy to stop, but quickly reasoned that it wouldn't do anything. He was obviously fine with putting himself in danger. But Honey didn't ask for this, and whether he was a horrible person or not, no one deserved to be pummeled by a speeding torpedo-like middle school martial artist. She couldn't sit by and do nothing. So before Chika hit Honey she launched herself towards the two and barreled into Honey, sending them both skidding out of the way.

"Honey, are you alright?" She asked frantically, rolling off of him and checking him for injuries with wide eyes. "Were you hurt? What's going on?" Honey simply stared up at her, his mouth slightly open.

"Kagome," he whispered so softly that she could barely hear it, shock and awe covering his expression.

"You're bringing other people out to fight me, Mitsukuni? Deciding to break more Haninozuka rules now, are we?" Chika said on the ground next to them. He adjusted his glasses and tossed his hair back. "Fine then. I'll just deal with both of you."

In an instant, the blond boy was crouched in front of Kagome. She blinked, shocked. Did he just flip over her? How could Honey do that, let alone at that speed?

"Stay away from Gome-chan," he said huskily. "And Kagome, you stay back. I'll handle this." The deep version of Honey's childish voice sent chills down her back. Chika's eyes widened in surprise and fear for a single moment before the battle commenced. It only lasted another thirty seconds, although to Kagome, it felt like thirty years. Chika was throwing hard punches quicker than she could string an arrow (which she could do impressively fast) but somehow, Honey easily and skillfully dodged each one. The older brother grabbed an arm of his opponent's, flipped him to the ground, then crouched over him with one foot on either side of Chika's hips. The two boys blinked at each other before Chika let out a frustrated growl and motioned for Honey to get off of him. However, the elder boy did not move.

"Mitsukuni, get off me. You won," he said grudgingly. Honey moved, but slowly.

"That was not funny, Chika-chan. Never threaten Gome-chan again," he said with a clear warning in his voice, then bounced over to Kagome. She sat shell-shocked on the ground with sweat dotting her head. She wasn't sure if she could move; her legs felt weak, and her head felt as if it were going to split open. This was too much. What just happened?

Before she could get the question out of her mouth, Mori's younger sibling walked over and smacked Chika on the top of the head with a long stick. "Yasuchika, what kind of man are you, threatening to hurt a girl? Apologize, now!" he demanded. Chika groaned and clutched the lump on his head.

"Ouch, Satoshi!" He cried. When the stick was wielded threateningly, he cowered and turned towards Kagome. "Sorry," he said, sounding anything but contrite. It earned him another whack from Satoshi, which caused him to yowl in discontent. Kagome looked to Honey pleadingly, in desperate need of an explanation.

"That's my brother, Chika-chan," Honey said cheerfully as if he hadn't just knocked the wind out of his brother using professional karate techniques. A wave of fatigue crashed over her. After the adrenaline rush, she was wiped out. She let herself slump back onto the ground. Instantly, Honey and Mori were above her, checking her over for signs of injury.

"Are you okay, Gome-chan?" Honey asked, concerned. Mori's eyes reflected the feeling.

"I'm fine; I just want answers," she said.

"Ask," Mori said with a nod to their siblings who were still squabbling a few meters over. She looked from their siblings to them, and with an encouraging nod from Mori, stood up on wobbly legs and walked over to the two boys.

"Hello," she said uncomfortably. Satoshi froze mid-swing and Chika sat covering his head, creating a pitiful picture. She felt a sweat mark drip down the back of her head. "I'm Higurashi Kagome. Would you mind explaining... what happened back there?" Chika sat up straight, a proud front covering the sniveling boy she'd viewed just a moment ago.

"The Haninozukas are a noble family. We excel at martial arts," he drawled. "We've combined styles over the years to create our very own method of fighting. When we're away, we study karate and judo, but when we're home, we work hard to master the Haninozuka technique. So, to make sure that we always stay alert, we've been taught that whenever two family members come face to face, they must engage each other in battle."

"I... see," Kagome said, although she did not. Honey's parents forced them to fight one another whenever they met? How was that good parenting? That might keep up their martial arts training, but if Chika's reactions to his older brother were anything to go by, it certainly did not promote feelings of familial love; more like competition. She glanced back at Honey and Mori.

"So why did you guys call us here anyways?" Chika asked, obviously annoyed. Satoshi gasped in outrage and whacked the back of his head again.

"Yasuchika, how dare you speak to your brother like that! Watch and learn how you're supposed to greet your sibling!" he scolded before turning to Mori with a large smile on his face. "Taka-bro, what do you need our help with?"

Honey grinned at the boys. "We need your help proving to Gome-chan that we're not fakers," Honey said. Satoshi turned to Kagome, confused.

"Your brothers are a part of a club called the Host Club, where they manipulate girls by putting on an act," Kagome explained. She felt her cheeks redden from embarrassment. Obviously Satoshi admired his brother even if Yasuchika did not, and she felt bad disrupting the clear worship that the younger Morinkzuka held for his older brother.  
"Mori pretends to be Honey's servant, and Honey acts like a child to attract girls to the club."

"Do you know anything?" Chika asked haughtily, but a glare from Satoshi shut his mouth.

"There's been a master-servant relationship between the Morinozuka family and the Haninozuka family for centuries. A marriage between our families broke the tradition, but Taka-bro and I are reinstating it by watching over our cousins," Satoshi explained. "That's no act; Taka-bro and Honey always act like that."

"Mitsukuni is an insane alien," Chika said disdainfully. "He has been breaking one of the basic principles of the Haninozukas for years now. We are supposed to refrain from selfishness and show self-restraint in all aspects of life, yet this dimwit has been unable to control himself. Not only did he arbitrarily quit the Karate Club only to become hooked on cake and stuffed animals, but he joined that stupid Host Club so that he could eat all the sweets he wants whenever he wants." Chika glared daggers at his brother. "He's a disgrace, and I will never recognize him as the future head of the Haninozukas until he shapes up!"

"What Yasuchika means to say," Satoshi cut in with a warning glance to Chika, "is that Honey is not putting on a display either. He struggled with the cutesy part of himself for many years before finally deciding to drop all pretenses and just be himself. Honey acts the same at home as he does at school, because that's who he truly is."

Kagome nodded her head and thanked the boys quietly. They could be lying, she supposed, but...

"Bye Chika!" Honey called out in a chipper tone. "I'll come visit you next, okay?" Chika glared at his brother and whirled around.

"Stay away from me at school," he said sharply, not looking back. Satoshi released a large sigh through his nose.

"I've got to go follow him. See you, Taka-bro! Bye Kagome, it was nice to meet you!" With that the two boys were gone, and Kagome was left with their elder brothers. She looked down at Honey, who was watching his brother leave him behind with a smile on his face and a frown in his eyes. Kagome felt her heart crumple.

They could be lying, but the proof against the idea was right in front of her. It was written all over Chika's hateful looks, hidden in Honey's longing gaze, and obvious in Satoshi's actions. Mori actually WAS a servant of Honey's; a respected, loved, and appreciated follower who served of his own will. And Honey truly was a sweets-loving, stuffed animal-obsessed teenager. If he could change who he was, Kagome was sure he would, so that his brother would accept him; the yearning on Honey's face as he watched Chika disappear was proof enough. Yet Honey was who he was, and there was no changing him. Instead he soldiered on day after day and stayed true to himself, even when people like her came along and accused him of being a faker. Guilt crashed down upon her in waves, and tears flooded her eyes.

"Kagome," Mori said gently, and the understanding behind her name made everything come pouring out.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried and flung herself at Honey. She sobbed into his neck as he patted her back and Mori rubbed her head, each forgiving her in their own way.

"It's okay Gome-chan, don't worry about it. I'm glad that everybody is friends now! We are friends, right?" Honey said innocently. Now that Kagome knew it wasn't a disgusting act, her heart warmed and a smile that she couldn't halt crossed her lips.

"Yes, of course! If you'll both let me be your friends after what I did. I'd deserve it if you say no," she said.

"Don't be silly! Of course we want you as our friend; you're so pretty and nice and you really care about others," Honey praised. Kagome pulled back to look at her senpai and blushed at his words. "But you need to be careful. You could've gotten hurt when you tried to save me," Honey said patronizingly. He tucked a strand of Kagome's hair behind her ear. "Don't do that again, okay? I don't want you to be hurt."

Kagome felt her heart stutter and her cheeks flame even hotter. "I can take care of myself, you know," she said tentatively, unsure of where they stood now in their relationship. Honey chuckled.

"Of course you can," he said, but Kagome got the distinct feeling that he was simply appeasing her. He grinned joyfully, all previous feelings of sorrow gone like the hate in her heart that she previously felt for the two of them. Now Honey flung himself at Kagome. "Group hug!" he called out, delighted.

And that was how a sweaty and angry Shippo found the three of them, laughing and hugging by the fountain. Tamaki was close on his heels, and both boys were yelling by the time the twins and Kyoya arrived at the scene. Shippo had the three separated in an instant. Tamaki began accusing Mori and Honey of treachery and the kidnapping of his beloved kitty, while Shippo handled Kagome. He lit into her about leaving without telling him, and what would she have done if she ran into trouble, she's not allowed to go anywhere alone, she knew the possible consequences, what if something happened, how could she do this to him, he almost died of a heart attack, and they were going _straight home right now_. Kagome was dragged down the road by one arm, leaving the rest of the Host Club behind.

But not before she turned around and waved to her two new friends without her bodyguard noticing. She smiled to herself, for the first time ever looking forward to the Host Club on the following day.

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**Author's Note: To be honest, I love when Honey is portrayed as a protective older brother, just because he seems like the one who'd need to be protected. Sorry for the bit of a long wait; I got a little busy, but I was so excited for this chapter! I knew that Honey and Mori should be the first ones to gain her trust so that I can incorporate them into the story later on. I don't want them to be background characters the way they often are. I hope you all like this chapter as much as I did. Next up: Haruhi's Survival!**

**Remember, this has no beta, so let me know if you see any spelling or grammar mistakes.**

**Read and Review at your own will! **


	7. Chapter 7: Haruhi's Survival Sidestory1

Keep Your Enemies Closer

**Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. Anything you recognize is owned by Bisco Hatori! I receive absolutely no money from writing fanfiction.**

**(The authors note is at the bottom.)**

* * *

She watched as the new student fretted over his sister like a mother hen, clucking and worrying about every little detail. "Always have your phone on, in case of emergencies. Call me or Sesshomaru first, depending on the situation, then the police," he instructed his sister. She huffed and nodded, trying to wave him away.

"I got it, I got it," she said impatiently. "Let's just get this over with so that we can go home. And I'm still mad at you, you know."

"Don't let them get closer than a two meter radius, I don't trust them at all," Shippo Higurashi continued, ignoring her. He then grabbed her chin tightly and stared her down, his face set into a stone mask of seriousness. "And remember; the most important thing is that you do not leave this school. No excuses."

Kagome Higurashi swallowed and nodded, agreeing easily with her overprotective brother. How could she stand it? Shippo was so controlling. He obviously tried to have a hand in every aspect of her life, and wasn't keen on the idea of separation. Whenever she saw Kagome, he was alway there, loudly joking and trailing along after her.

Then again, who was she to talk? Those traits sounded remarkably similar to a cross-dressing man she knew well...

Shippo sighed and released his hold on his sister. "Okay, I'll see you later Kags. In exactly two hours from now, I'll meet you where you're working in the library."

"Sounds good," She said moodily. "Say hello to Haruhi for me!"

Haruhi instantly sweat-dropped. Kagome was awfully friendly; they were barely on a first-name basis, let alone passing along happy "hello"s. She knew that Kagome felt a slight connection with Haruhi what with them both being new, but Haruhi wanted nothing to do with her. Not that Kagome was a horrible person; Haruhi did pity her, for all the girls at school were jealous of her place in the Host Club that she obviously didn't want, and her clingy brother never left her side. But it didn't change the fact that they were also colossally different. They both may be new to Ouran, but Haruhi was here on a scholarship. Kagome and Shippo were both just another pair of delusional rich kids. Their parents paid their way in for the school, and they'd live the rest of their lives lounging at parties, marrying for more wealth and more fame. It was a power game that the families of these children played, and Haruhi wanted to stay as far from it as she could. All she planned to do was complete her schooling and move on to become a lawyer who was as accomplished as her mother.

"Ready to go?" Shippo asked. Haruhi soundlessly agreed and pretended as though she didn't notice his worried glance sent toward his retreating sister. What was he so worried about anyway? Kagome could handle herself in the library for a measly two hours with those twins. All they were doing was math, after all. What harm could befall them other than the usual headache?

The two walked in an awkward silence. Shippo's discomfort permeated the air, but Haruhi refused to give in. By creating small talk, she would only be feeding a conversation that neither of the truly cared about. Shippo could just learn to live with quiet for once in his life. Honestly, the boy was almost as bad as the Hitachiin brothers; after those identical troublemakers, Shippo was definitely the most rambunctious in class. The three of them combined nearly gave the Class President a heart attack the other day when they got into _another _dispute over Kagome. The poor girl gets manhandled by all of the gingers on a daily basis.

"So do you know this Kasanoda Ritsu kid that we're working with?" Shippo asked, giving into his instinct to chatter. _Remember, Haruhi. Don't encourage him._

"No," she said shortly, killing the conversation. Shippo began to profusely sweat behind her.

"Ah... Well, I've heard he's a huge bully and everyone's terrified of him. Hopefully those are just rumors." Haruhi said nothing, refusing to fuel the potential fire. By the time they reached the gardens where Kasanoda Ritsu had asked them to meet by note, Shippo was done trying to talk to Haruhi. He slumped in a chair, pulled out a textbook, then spent the remainder of his time on his phone. Probably texting Kagome, if she had to guess. He was frowning when Kasanoda Ritsu arrived.

"Oh good, you're here. We can start now," Haruhi said. Kasanoda looked at her and frowned.

"That was rude. Why don't we introduce ourselves first," he growled. It made his face twist and configure into that of a demon, with hard chiseled lines and steely eyes. Haruhi simply blinked at him, not affected in the least when most other people would faint from terror.

"Fine. I'm Fujioka Haruhi. Can we begin now?" Kasanoda stared at her in confusion. Did he purposefully try to scare her? She thought he did it on accident. Maybe he was just surprised that his normal face didn't phase her.

"It's YOU," Shippo snarled on Haruhi's right. He stood up so fast that he knocked his chair over and marched right up to Kasanoda. A finger was pushed into Kasanoda's chest. "I don't know who you think you are, but you can't go around this school bullying people like Haruhi or my sister. Shape up or GET OUT."

"I wouldn't threaten me if I were you," Kasanoda replied, swatting Shippo's hand away. "Most people don't annoy me, but you manage to get under my skin. Control yourself and we'll get through this project as fast and as painlessly as possible."

"Me, control myself? Is this a joke? You're the one who just tried to scare Haruhi!"

"I did not try to scare him, this is just how my normal face looks!"

The boys glared at each other for a moment. Shippo backed off first.

"Fine," he said shortly. "If you're saying you can't control it, then it's not your fault. Just stay away from my sister." Kasanoda rolled his eyes.

"Fine," he muttered, kicking the ground sullenly. They both sat down and stared at the table.

"Are you two done?" She asked. They both glanced at her, a little surprised and a little apologetic.

"Um, yeah," Kasanoda said uncomfortably.

"Well then. Let's begin."

Almost two hours later, Shippo was the first to give in. He slammed his textbook together and clutched his head, moaning. "That was not easy. And we're only a third of the way through," he griped. Kasanoda sat as he had for the last thirty minutes, eyes wide and staring blankly at a random page.

"I don't understand anything," the boy from Class 1-D admitted. Haruhi huffed.

"You're giving up already?" She asked, annoyed; showing the first sign of an emotion all day. Sheets of paper were scattered around her filled with tiny chicken scrawl. The math was not easy, she'd admit, but she was able to get the hang of it about fifty minutes into the beginning of their study session. She needed the good grade for her future, after all, and it was apparent that these boys were not going to help her achieve that goal.

"Yeah, I need to find Kagome," Shippo admitted. He stood up and stuck his hand out to Kasanoda. "One thing that I was able to understand during this work from hell was that you didn't deserve for me to tell at you. Sorry, man," he said. Kasanoda gazed up at him with wonder in his eyes and slowly shook the offered hand, treating the moment as if it were a joke and Shippo would snatch it back. The display was almost pitiful, Haruhi decided. It was as if Kasanoda had never had any friends before.

Shippo turned to Haruhi. "I'm not sure what I did to offend you, but I'd like it if we could be friends as well." Haruhi stared at the offered hand before grabbing all her papers.

"Sorry. It's not that I don't like you, but I don't have time for things like friends. I have work to do," she said. Both boys sweat-dropped.

"Please?" Shippo asked. Haruhi weighed the pros and cons in her mind. If she befriended him then he would get off her back, probably work harder next time they got together to please her, and wouldn't look down on her. But if she did befriend him, then he might try to hang out with her, or talk with her.

"Fine," she finally said, giving his hand one firm shake before continuing to gather her things.

"Can we be friends too, Fujioka?" Kasanoda asked eagerly. Haruhi sighed. She felt a migraine coming.

"Of course," she said, much to the tough guy's apparent delight. Shippo rubbed his hands together.

"Alright! Should we meet here next week at the same time?" Haruhi and Kasanoda nodded their heads.

"I'll be here. See you guys next week," Kasanoda said and walked off whistling a cheery tune. It seemed out of place coming from the imposing boy. Haruhi started towards the library, and Shippo ran a bit to catch up with her.

"So Haruhi, why don't you ever wear the uniform? Is that allowed?" He asked. Darn it. Her gamble hadn't paid off; he was trying to talk to her again. Haruhi shrugged.

"I'm not sure. No one's ever told me I couldn't. And I can't afford one, so it's not like I have a choice." Shippo stared at her in surprise.

"Well, I could help you out. I have an extra uniform at home," he offered. Haruhi glanced at him incredulously.

"You're at least two sizes larger than me," she pointed out. Shippo grinned sheepishly.

"Okay, I could buy one for you. It's no big deal," he started, but Haruhi shook her head violently. Her untidy hair whipped back and forth across her cheeks.

"No thanks. I'm not looking to be in anyone's debt."

"You wouldn't be in my debt," Shippo argued. They bickered back and forth for a while until Haruhi changed the subject, attempting to distract him. It worked effectively.

"Why don't you and your sister look alike?" She asked. Shippo grabbed the end of his ponytail and began to play with it, a clear nervous habit being displayed.

"Kagome is my half sister," he replied. Haruhi raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, then how are you the same age?"

"That's a blunt question. Aren't you afraid of offending me?"

"I asked anyway."

Silence. Then-

"I was born a few months before her. Her dad cheated on her mom with my mom, and resulted in a pregnancy. When Mrs. Higurashi found out she left him."

"Why do you keep his last name?"

"Because I love my sister and I want to stay as connected to her as possible."

The two of them entered the library together. Haruhi paused by the front doors. "You're lying," she said. Shippo paused and turned around.

"No I'm not," he said uneasily. Haruhi gazed at him, her face devoid of emotion.

"Yes you are," she replied.

Unnerved, Shippo turned around and looked for his sister. Panic visibly engulfed the boy when she wasn't found.

"Kagome?" He called. "Kagome!" Shippo went off the deep end and ran all around the library, shouting her name. A few Fangirls fainted, but other than that, no females were spotted. Haruhi watched with pity as he freaked out.

"She probably went somewhere else with the twins," Haruhi said calmingly. Shippo growled.

"That's what I'm afraid of," he said as he dropped to the ground and - _did he just sniff it_? Then he was off like a shot, racing down the steps. Haruhi caught up later, panting by the front doors of Ouran. Shippo was glaring at the street.

"Someone must have picked her up here; it's where the trail ends," he snarled. Haruhi looked at him, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Trail?" She asked disbelievingly. Shippo glanced at her in surprise, obviously not being aware that she had been there.

"I'll see you later Haruhi. I have some things to take care of," he said, dismissing her. Shippo whipped out his cellphone and briskly walked away from the high school, leaving Haruhi alone on bye front steps.

"Yes, Sesshomaru? This is Shippo. We have a problem..."

* * *

**Author's Note: Who likes Haruhi? She's a sidestory, but it was still so much fun to write her. And I got my first harsh review; it was not fun, I'll admit, but I want to thank TenshiHalo for still letting me know his/her opinion. I can definitely understand if you think Kagome is dull; now that I look back on how I wrote her, I think I depended too much on prior knowledge of her personality from the anime and didn't take enough time to describe it in writing. I wouldn't have noticed this is it wasn't for you, so thanks! I'll work on it in future chapters, and I hope that soon you'll be able to find something to draw you in. I never meant to make Kagome emo (she's dealing with some stuff but I'll reveal that in future chapters) but I don't want to overpower her kind and caring attitude with negatives. Also, I don't want you to think that I dismissed your review just because it was a bit harsh. I prefer happy reviews, but constructive criticism is allowed as well.**

**So, speaking of reviews, please leave one! I've been getting less lately and it makes me sad :( Every review I receive makes my day, and I look forward to reading the ones for this chapter! Please let me know what you think!**


	8. Chapter 8: The Most Important Game

Keep Your Enemies Closer

**Disclaimer: The characters are not mine. Anything you recognize is owned by Bisco Hatori! I receive absolutely no money from writing fanfiction.**

**WARNING: The topic of incest is ****_VERY SLIGHTLY_**** gone over in the chapter below. I'm assuming that what occurs won't bother anyone (it's not explicit at all; this is T rating) but just in case, if you don't want to read the chapter because of this, just shoot me a PM and I can give you a chapter summary.**

**(The authors note is at the bottom.)**

* * *

If she were honest with herself, today wasn't the worst day she'd had all week. Sure, she's woken up to a pounding headache and a crying Sota, and yes, she'd failed her Conversational French quiz as well as a quick check in Chemistry, but there have been worse days. Particularly the day six weeks and three days ago, when she climbed out of the Bone Eater's Well for the last time. Compared to that, a study session with the Hitachiin twins was a slice of her mother's crumbling blueberry pie. Plus, she'd spent the better part of the Host Club hours chatting with Honey and Mori while astutely avoiding Shippo and the other insane hosts, so her day wasn't actually terrible... right?

Of course not.

How could she have been so wrong? Kagome wasn't sure. Everything had been fine (and by fine she meant annoying but harmless as usual) at the beginning of the study session...

******* 1 HOUR AND 38 MINUTES AGO *******

"Always have your phone on, in case of emergencies. Call me or Sesshomaru first, depending on the situation, then the police," Shippo lectured. He was using the tone of voice that she often directed to Sota when he was doing something wrong, or the same one that she had frequently used on Shippo not too long ago (or a VERY long time ago, depending on your perspective). It was the babying, you-can't-handle-yourself, I-don't-know-why-I'm-letting-you-do-this, come-home-at-the-first-sign-of-trouble tone that Kagome often dolled out but loathed to receive. Who was Shippo to talk? She was fifteen years old, not five, and the red headed twins were annoying pests, not demons bent on stealing her away forever.

She had enough of those kinds of demons to deal with; worrying about these two wasn't necessary.

"I got it, I got it," she snapped, trying to end Shippo's motherly tirade. Every word that came out of his mouth simply annoyed her more. He wasn't the boss of her, and he should back off and give her some space, especially so soon after the horrible _Game Incident_ that he began. "Let's just get this over with so that we can go home." Home would be nice; a quiet, peaceful environment where she could lay down and try to rid herself of the hammer beating at her brain. "And I'm still mad at you, you know."

However, nothing fazed Shippo. He kept talking as if she hadn't tried to remind him of her anger that caused her to ignore him for the past two nights at the Manor. "Don't let them get closer than a two meter radius, I don't trust them at all," he said. A two meter radius? What was she supposed to do, keep a handy-dandy measuring stick prepared at all times?

A hand on her chin and Shippo's concerned gaze melted some of the ice in her heart. When he looked at her like that, she knew that as pushy and obnoxious as he was being, Shippo was only trying to do what's best for her. She understood, and was grateful, too. But what she needed was a bodyguard and a friend, not a nanny who pried into every moment of her life.

"And remember; the most important thing is that you do not leave this school. No excuses." An annoying rule, but a necessary one. Kagome wouldn't violate it. She swallowed heavily as Shippo released his hold on her face.

"Alright," she promised. "Now get going, we have math to do." Shippo reluctantly stepped toward Haruhi and sighed, eyes slanting to the textbook hidden underneath the flap of his man satchel. If looks could kill, the mathematical pages inside the ridiculous backpack (Shippo insisted on carrying it to school daily) would be shriveled up and rotting in hell by now.

"Okay, I'll see you later Kags. In exactly two hours from now, I'll meet you where you're working in the library."

"Sounds good," She said in a sour tone. No matter what she did, he just kept _patronizing her_. He didn't need to keep saying everything over and over as if she were in kindergarten; she was going to be studying. In a library.

Before Shippo could leave she blurted out a pointless, "Say hello to Haruhi for me!", just in case the boy ever actually took up her multiple hints that she wanted to befriend him. Kagome was desperate for some semblance of normalcy, and Haruhi seemed to be her best shot; he was not a rich sheltered kid, he didn't proclaim his love to girls and justify it with a club title, and he actually worked in class. Haruhi may be on the scruffier, more unaesthetic side of the student body, but Kagome was convinced that he would be better company than the Host Club. Unfortunately, Haruhi had yet to return the sentiment (but she wasn't ready to give up quite yet!).

Shippo finally left the library. Kagome let out an exasperated breath and pushed all thoughts of the bothersome Kitsune to the back of her mind. "Thank kami that's over," she muttered to herself. A low chuckle in her left ear sent her jumping a foot into the air in fright.

"Glad to finally escape the clutches of your overprotective brother?" One of the twins - she wasn't sure which - asked smugly. He sidled up to her and slung a long, gangly arm around her waist. A matching boy appeared on her right and copied his brother's movement.

"We can relate to that, you know. I'm definitely a jealous person, and Kaoru has to deal with that all the time. Plus he isn't so easy-going himself when it comes to sharing me." Two lecherous grins were formed on either side of Kagome. "What do you say, why don't you join us in a little... venting session?"

Kagome turned as red as Shippo's hair and spun away from the two of them, her hair flying back and smacking Hikaru in the face on accident (much to Kaoru's hilarity). "Stay away from me, you perverts! We're here to do math!"

"Oh, but Kagome, we'd much rather do YOU," Karou purred. She shrieked in indignation.

"Don't say something like that in public you freaks!"

"Flustered, Kagome? It's only because you want us," Hikaru teased. She couldn't help what she did next; she _snarled_ at him, a growl slipping out between clenched teeth as a lip curled upwards. Hikaru and Kaoru fell into a fit of laughter while she marched over to an empty table, angry and embarrassed. She threw herself into a chair and rested her head against the desk, hoping for some insight that would help her through the next two hours.

The boys eventually strolled over, but instead of sitting down to do their school work, Kaoru stood behind Kagome and twisted her hair into elaborate braids. Hikaru took the job of inspecting her backpack (it was an actual backpack, not a cheap man purse like the one Shippo had) and declaring it wildly out of season. He'd have a new one shipped in for her straight away.

"I don't want a new bag," Kagome said crossly. "This one is fine. Now sit down and start working on our math assignment!"

Kaoru yawned. "Boooooring," he stated. Kagome swore that her vision turned red for half a second.

"Why don't we settle this with a game? If you win we'll do your math with you, and if you lose, well... we'll tell you when you lose," Hikaru said, leaning his head on Kaoru's shoulder. The two of them sent identical grins beaming towards her.

"How is that fair? Is everything a game to you both?" She asked, peeved beyond measure. They glanced at each other before looking back at her.

"Yes!" They exclaimed. Soon matching hats were pulled out and they began to spin around so fast that they resembles miniature cyclones. "Let's play the Which One is Hikaru Game!"

Kagome stared at them, mouth open and eyes wide. She didn't know who was who; they were identical! Sometimes she barely knew who was Hikaru during the Host Club, and he was the one who always put on the stupid SEME act (or was that Kaoru?). It was a fifty fifty shot, and Kagome figured that she should probably guess well. These boys were determined to win the game, and she shuddered to think of what they had in store for her.

"...You are Hikaru," she said, pointing to the boy on the right. For a millisecond she thought she won, but then identical twisted grins slowly unfurled on the faces before her.

"Wrong! You lose!" They sang, jumping up and down in glee. Kagome wailed in frustration.

"Prove it!" She challenged.

"We don't need to; you lost, now you're coming with us!" Hikaru crowed. They yanked Kagome out of her chair and dragged her all the way to the library doors. She dug her heels into the fluffy, expensive carpet and glared at them.

"I'm not leaving," she said firmly.

"You lost, so now you need to come with us," Hikaru repeated. Kagome shook her head.

"I can't, I'm not allowed." Kaoru raised a thin eyebrow.

"Because of Shippo, you mean?" He asked skeptically.

"Yes." More or less, she supposed.

"I guess we're being forced to take extreme measures then," Kaoru said with a sigh. Kagome didn't like the sound of that.

"Wha-" she began to ask. Instead of of finishing her inquiry, a rag was shoved into her face, and the smell of chemicals filled her nose. Instantly the world began to sway and her eyes became heavy.

"N-no," she tried to say, but she wasn't sure if the words passed through her lips or not before the dark oblivion came and swept her consciousness away.

******* PRESENT TIME *******

Now she was laying down, eyes shut against the harsh glare of the light above her. She had yet to crack an eyelid; the idea sounded horrendously strenuous, and Kagome couldn't convince herself to take a peek at her surroundings. Her head felt foggy and her mouth was a bit fuzzy. Did she eat cotton balls recently?

"When do you think she'll wake up?" A voice asked directly above her face.

"I dunno. But I can't wait to see her face; no one other than Boss gets as easily riled up as she does."

Kagome struggled to think. Were they talking about her?

"Well, her brother isn't that hard either. Just talking to Kagome makes him angry. I wonder how he'll react when he figures out that we took her out of the school."

She was... kidnapped? Taken away from school?

Her limbs suddenly sprang to life. Her eyes shot open and she stiffened as adrenaline shot through her veins like a direct shot of morphine to the system. Her head was on the lap of one twin and her feet were resting on the other's. They were in a limo, from what she could tell. The windows were tinted so that she could barely see the trees flying by outside.

"No!" She gasped. Kagome rolled off of the boys and hit the floor hard. From the shocked gasps that they let out, she could tell that they weren't expecting that reaction. But Kagome didn't care. What mattered more was where they were headed. She scrambled to the window and rammed her fists against it as if it were the bars to a prison cell.

"Kagome-"

"Where are we going," she demanded, whirling around, back pressed against the car door.

"To our home," one twin answered. "It's okay Kagome, calm down. We aren't actually kidnapping you; we'll drive you home to your house in a few hours-"

"I mean what direction are we going?" Kagome snapped, cutting him off. "Hurry, what direction?!"

There was a pause as the boys stared at her in contemplative silence. "West," one of them answered quietly, leaving the invitation for an explanation left unsaid but implied. Kagome chose to ignore the request, turning back to the window and pressing her clammy forehead to the cool glass in relief.

"Thank Kami," she whispered. She was still in Sesshomaru's domain. A beat passed, then she turned the tables on the boys. "And what was that anyway? Did you two creeps knock me out with chloroform?"

"Yep. Hikaru bought it the other day after we planned our homework session."

"That is so wrong. And illegal. I'm going to file an official report."

"And we'll buy our way out of prison," Hikaru said charmingly, the way one would deliver a joke to a beloved aunt. Kagome rolled her eyes and scanned the incredibly large backseat of the limo for her bag (or more importantly, her cell phone). Nothing was in sight.

"Where's my phone. I need to call Shippo," Kagome asked. They simply smirked at her from their spots on the leather couch.

"Don't be such a baby, Kaggy Kitty. You can hand yourself for a few hours without hiding behind your big brother, right?" Kaoru teased. It may have been a joke, but Kagome felt herself responding to the challenge anyway. His words hit another one of her more recent insecurities; that she was being smothered by Shippo and Sesshomaru, and therefore losing her independence. Although she knew it was the wrong choice, the undeniable urge to prove herself swelled in her breast and took over her vocal cords.

"I don't need Shippo every second of the day, but he's going to be worried about me," she said. An understatement. He was going to be frantic.

"He can survive a few hours without his baby sister," Hikaru scoffed. "It's our turn to play with you now."

"Your funeral," Kagome warned, but the boys just laughed at her. Apparently they didn't understand how serious she was being. They'd find out soon enough.

The limo parked in front of a grand mansion, just as large as Sesshomaru's but decorated with large golden statues and shining granite fountains. The boys dragged her up flights of plush stairs and down two long imposing hallways before they reached their room. It had a ginormous California King bed set up next to a wide balcony that gave a gorgeous view of the wide, sprawling grounds. Kagome gaped as they dragged her inside. The doors shut heavily, making an ominous BOOM that echoed in her ears. Escape was impossible with her two kidnappers directly in front of her, smiling deviously.

They crossed the room and sat on the bed, draping themselves across one another. "Join us, Kagome," Hikaru offered with a sly smirk. As they began to get touchy-feely, Kagome let her eyes wander around the room, so as not to focus on the slightly awkward seen before her. She noticed Hikaru and Kaoru pictures of all ages littered across the room in tiny picture frames, but other family members were conspicuously absent. Kagome felt a frown tug at her mouth.

"Why don't you have any pictures of your parents?" Kagome asked, even though she didn't really care. They were evil, diabolical clones who played with the hearts of innocent girls; she didn't care about their childhood at all. So when Kaoru responded, "They're not around much" and Hikaru added, "We don't know them very well", Kagome most certainly did not feel a cord of remorse being played on her heartstrings. She felt nothing at all.

However, she could not deny the instant rage she felt at their next prank.

Hikaru turned Kaoru's face toward him when he knew that Kagome was looking and pushed their lips together. They kissed for one long moment before turning to Kagome with hooded eyes. A moment passed as they waited for her response. What they expected, Kagome didn't know. And instant agreement that their hosting act was the truth? A long, heartfelt apology? Instead, she let the dam of anger that had been quickly building up all day flood and explode.

"Stop acting!" She hissed. "I know that your incest isn't real, and that's probably the first time you've ever kissed. I don't know what you're trying to prove, but you _can't fool me_!"

"Look around," Hikaru said calmly. "All we have is each other, and that's all that we will always have. Everything else is just a game, but our love for each other isn't fake."

"We never lie to the girls while hosting by confessing to them. All we do is confess to each other, and that's what they enjoy about our station. The brotherly love. Except in our case, it's more," Kaoru said softly.

"Oh please, you're not fooling me Kaoru," Kagome hissed. "I noticed how you avoided saying how many times you've kissed. Admit it; that was your first kiss! You're just trying to win that stupid game!"

The boys stared at her, silent as a grave. She could see the answer in their eyes. That had been their first kiss. There was no incest, just as she'd thought.

"I knew it. You're as fake as they get," Kagome said softly. Though it was merely a whisper, it sounded like a shout in the soundless room.

"You have no right to say that!" Hikaru suddenly yelled. "All we have is each other, and no one else ever enters our world. No one can win the game we created! No one cares enough to try!"

"Stop it with the worthless games!" Kagome shouted back. "Life is not a game, and you need to start acting like it!"

"It's not that easy when the only people we trust are each other," Kaoru said softly. "Trust me, we learned the hard way that we need to treat life as a game, because that way, there's always a way to win. Even if we have to cheat."

"That's ridiculous," she challenged.

"Don't you dare say that our love for each other is fake, because it's the only thing that's real! You don't have the right to say these things, Kagome! You barely know us!"

"I think I know you both well enough by now!"

"Oh yeah? Prove it!" Hikaru and Kaoru whipped out those matching hats and ran behind Kagome. She turned around and was met with the hard, cold faces of the Hitachiin twin brothers.

"Which one is Hikaru?" They intoned, voices emotionless. The two of them were identical clones, without even an oddly-placed freckle to distinguish them. Now she understood why they incessantly played the game; they wanted someone to guess correctly because they could truly tell the differences between the brothers. They wanted to be understood, and recognized as their own person. But they wanted to make the winner guess correctly to earn a spot in order to earn a spot in their personal world, so to gain their trust, you had to truly understand each as an individual. Why would they do that to themselves? Why go through years of struggle when if they could simply open themselves up and give people a chance, their world could be expanded a hundredfold?

"We're waiting," they snapped to Kagome in unison. She blinked. While there were no physical features to separate one from the other, she now knew that she had to dig deeper. The one one on the left had a fiery, burning anger simmering in his eyes; the one on the right had pools full of sorrow and regret swirling in an endless circle. She knew enough about them and their personalities to finally determine who was who and to be the first winner of the most important game.

"Hikaru is on the left, and Kaoru is on the right," Kagome said. The twins gave her the same wry grin as Kaoru let out a dry chuckle.

"You lose, as expected. I'm Hikaru," he lied. Kagome frowned at him.

"No you're not. You're Kaoru."

"You're just saying that," Hikaru growled. Kagome stared him straight in the eye.

"No I'm not, Hikaru. I can tell you apart now; I understand you well enough." She watched as their expressions froze in shock. Someone had beaten their very first game; someone had taken the walls they'd built up around themselves and managed to carve out a nice Kagome-shaped-hole so that an invader could enter their world. It was no longer just the two of them. Now there was a third person. And she hated them. The truth hit them like a truck-load of bricks.

Then all hell broke loose.

Kagome heard the glass of the balcony windows to her back explode in a symphony of shatters. She felt tiny bits of fragment scratch the backs of her arms and legs as Hikaru and Kaoru's eyes swelled in fright. She turned to face him, and there he was; The Lord of the West, standing in the destroyed bedroom of two teenage boys, looking like a War God. His eyes burned blood red and a growl marred his flawless face. A heinous snarl was ripped from his throat and directed towards the boys. Hikaru let out a whimper and the sound provoked Sesshomaru into action. He lunged for the nearest boy, claws outstretched. Kaoru screamed in terror as Sesshomaru flew towards him.

"No!" Hikaru yelled, and threw himself in front of the younger twin. Sesshomaru's class barely grazed him, but it left four thin cuts on his arm that quickly began to bleed.

"No, Hikaru!" Kaoru cried. He instantly covered his body with his own, trying to protect him from the angry demon that was returning for another attack.

Kagome finally shook herself out of her shocked stupor. They really did love each other, Kagome realized. Not in the incest-y way that they played during Host Club hours, but in a real, brotherly form that Kagome could only hope to feel about Sota. This was beyond familial relationships; it was also true friendship, a type of camaraderie that was seldom to be found. They hadn't been faking, Kagome admitted to herself as she watched Kaoru hover over Hikaru with his eyes squeezed shut. They didn't pretend to love the girls, only each other, and none of that was a lie. The incest act was merely one of many games, a fact that they didn't try to hide. They were right, and they were also the next winners of the Prove Your Worth Game. That is, if they survived the next few seconds.

Kagome acted instantly. She ran between the twins and Sesshomaru, throwing her arms wide open. "Stop!" She yelled. "Stop, they weren't hurting me!" Apparently she'd placed her bets in the right deck, for Sesshomaru halted his charge right before he was about to collide with her. He towered above Kagome, looking down at her with anger and blood lust pouring off him like Naraku's miasma.

"Please don't hurt them," she begged in a whisper. Sesshomaru stared at her for a moment. Then, faster than a blink of an eye, he had her in his arms and was jumping out of the broken window, using his demon powers to whisk them airborne across the ground below and to the direction of his mansion, where he knew she would be safe.

"Kagome!" Came a panicked cry from behind her. She tried to turn around and shout that they shouldn't worry, she was fine, but her reassuring words were snatched by the greedy windy long before they ever reached the ears of the boys whose world had just shattered like the window below their feet.

* * *

**Authors Note: Wow I'm feeling slightly nervous posting this because the site has everything I wrote underlined in red. But I know I couldn't have possibly misspelled every word (I hope). Let me know if you see anything though. And sorry for the slightly later update; I got hooked on a fanfiction called Hack It! and that may or may not be the reason why I posted two days later than originally planned...**

**On another note, THANK YOU ALL REVIWERS! We're almost to a hundred! Last chapter was a great turnout, and I had so much fun reading each and every review, especially Cherry-Blossom-Love's! Also, thank you TenshiHalo for leaving your opinion. Your perspective is noted and appreciated. I had a ton of fun writing this chapter, and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did writing it. Drop a review to let me know what you think; they're like warm peanut butter cookies and I eat/read them instantly!**

**And about the sidestory with Haruhi. I know that some of you enjoyed her perspective, but that others did not and just wanted to focus on Kagome. I'm not going to stop Haruhi's POVs because they're going to be short and inconsequential to the plot, and while I love Kagome, I can't bring myself to give up on Haruhi either. But I will add SIDESTORY to chapter titles in her POV and you can skip right over them if you don't want to read her mini-story. Nothing that effects the other chapters will be revealed in a sidestory, so you can skip it if you don't like Haruhi. Thanks!**

**Read and Review please! It causes my day to be filled with sunshine and butterflies!**


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